


A Thousand Years Ago and a Thousand Years Since

by violetstorm



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, KHUx and KH3 speculation, Timeline Shenanigans, khux spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 14:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15583608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetstorm/pseuds/violetstorm
Summary: Ventus doesn't remember and perhaps it's for the better.





	A Thousand Years Ago and a Thousand Years Since

**Author's Note:**

> Since this fic involves KHUx, a lot of it is personal speculation due to the fact that there is so little information given from KHUx. The latter part of this fic takes place in a hypothetical KH3 scenario and Marluxia retains his memories as Lauriam, here. 
> 
> Enjoy your read!

“Did you hear the news?”

Marluxia's back was to Larxene and he didn't turn, tilting his head so slightly to indicate he was listening.

Larxene huffed and presumably stomped her foot. “I’ve heard from number two that Xemnas might be holding a meeting today to greet the new member.”

“Which number two?”

Marluxia practically heard Larxene smirk. “Saix, of course.”

“I see. Has he named our newest member yet?”

“Dunno. Didn’t hear anything else because _Vexen—,”_ Larxene said, spitting out his name as if poison. “—had to show up and ruin my fun. If it weren’t for him screaming about eavesdropping, I could have…”

Larxene’s voice faded to white noise in Marluxia’s ears, his mind focused on number thirteen, a _keybearer._ With this, Xemnas would be able to guide the Organization towards completing Kingdom Hearts and by proxy, themselves.

Such a shame that Marluxia found the hero of light, Sora, first. All he had to do was finalize _how_ he was going to use Sora to take over the Organization.

“Are you even listening to me?”

“I would advise you to keep from eavesdropping from now on,” Marluxia said. “If you wish to be assigned to Castle Oblivion, it would be wise for you to stay on your best behaviour.”

“Best behaviour?” Larxene sneered. “I’m _not_ Saix. I’m not interesting in sucking up to the _Superior.”_

“I hardly think that would be necessary.”

“What- _ever._ I’m going to do my mission. Ugh, it’s with Demyx, too. If he even _thinks_ about slacking off, I’m going to…”

* * *

 His name was Roxas _._ The nobody of Sora.

With the appearance of Ventus.

Marluxia’s breath caught in his throat and if it weren’t for Xemnas’ strange enamor for Roxas, he surely would have noticed Marluxia’s discomfort (for Larxene certainly had). Even so, Marluxia couldn’t bring himself to care— not that he could have in the first place.

 _Ven?_ Why Ven? His hair was much longer, yet styled similarly, his face and his _eyes_ were carbon-copies and _why?_ He was expecting something exactly like _Sora,_ and it should have been exactly like _Sora,_ so why did Roxas look like Ven?

_(eyes sparkling under a dark hat and a red scarf and messy blonde hair and a chain of stars and orange ribbons and—)_

No answers came, however. They never do.

“What’s got you all riled up?” Larxene asked him later.

Marluxia cast a quick glance at Kingdom Hearts through the window of his bedroom in The Castle That Never Was. “It’s nothing.”

(Marluxia was thankful that he never spent much time with Roxas. He slipped up once, calling him Ven, but there wasn’t the slightest bit of recognition from him. Or anything at all, thankfully, due to Roxas still being quite “out-of-it”, so to say. Then he died in Castle Oblivion and never found an answer.)

* * *

 

It was simple recon. Investigate Radiant Garden and find information on the current actions of Ansem’s apprentices.

Different Organization, same duties.

Hollow Bastion— no, Radiant Garden’s castle stood tall and brilliant among the wreckage of the town in the distance. Marluxia tugged his hood over his head. He wasn’t fool enough to summon a dark corridor _that_ close to the castle. The sky was painted blue-black, all too easy to stay undercover in.

Though, there was little trouble. Most residents holed themselves inside their houses, unwilling to take a chance in the darkness, even one as natural as the night. Marluxia moved swiftly, silently, until a voice called to his attention and he went stock-still.

“It’s just this way. C’mon.”

_Ven?_

_(“I’m not sure if I can suddenly do something like leading a Union.”)_

No, no. Ventus was gone, like everybody else. It must have been Roxas speaking, and that alone was reason to investigate more, for if Sora managed to get Roxas back…

“You lead the way.”

Sora. From the sounds of it, they were alone. Interesting indeed. Marluxia followed their voices soundlessly, until the two keybearers came into view. Though the sky was darkened, Sora’s mop of brown hair was easily recognizable, along with Roxas’ blonde.

No— _no._

Ventus. Ventus. It was… Ventus? The clothes, it was all Ventus’. He had his keyblade armour on his shoulder, but everything else was _Ventus._ Unless Marluxia was truly losing it and it was Roxas. He remained silent and continued tailing the boys— if Marluxia had a heart, he was positive it would be thundering right about now.

“The town’s a little different though, and it’s been so long since I’ve been here. I’m hopin’ we can find our way back before it gets really dark.”

“I guess we can find somebody to ask for directions if we want.”

“Do you know anybody here?”

“Plenty! There’s Leon and Aerith and Yuffie and Cloud… you haven’t met them yet, have you?”

“Nah, but they sound like nice people. They’re on the Restoration Committee thing, right?”

“Yup! So I reckon you’ll see them soon.”

“Great! I can’t wait.”

Roxas— did he speak like that? Marluxia never knew him well enough to know his speech patterns. Marluxia pondered this thought, racking through his memories of Roxas, only to stumble across some debris, the debris rattling loud enough to wake the dead.

Sora and… whoever was with him stopped talking. Then, Sora’s voice rang out.

“Ven, did you hear that?”

 _Ven. Ventus. Ventus. That was Ven with him._ Marluxia couldn’t care enough to ask _why_ or _how_ it was Ven; all that mattered was that it was _Ven._

By the time Sora and Ven came to look at what caused the noise, Marluxia was gone.

* * *

 

It felt like hours before Ven was alone and in those hours, Marluxia studied Ven. He was close to the keyblade master Aqua and Xemnas’ “Somebody”. He was skilled with wind magic. He was talkative and energetic and full of life. He was Ventus.

He was alone in a guest’s bedroom. So, the keybearers were staying the night at Radiant Garden’s castle, most likely working with the apprentices. Marluxia made sure that the other keybearers were out of the way before throwing himself inside Ven’s bedroom through the window, his hood off.

Ven started with a shout, backing up, his keyblade already in his hands. Wayward wind, and it was held in a backwards grip. How that brought back memories

“Who are you?!”

Ah, but Marluxia was a fool for believing Ven would recognize him as a Nobody, when Lauriam had looked so different.

“Hush. I only came here to talk, with you, Ventus. I mean you no harm.”

“Like I’d believe that! How’d you know my name?”

_(“Grow a backbone, will ya?”)_

Marluxia sighed and raised his hands lazily in the surrender position. Only for Ven, would he do this. “Ven, do you recognize me?”

“You’re part of the Organization! You’re working with Xehanort!”

“Perhaps so. You are not aware of even my name?”

_(“Sorry to keep you all waiting. I was looking for something.)_

“...No,” Ven faltered. “Who are you?”

“My name is Marluxia. However, it was once…

_(“My name is Lauriam. Nice to meet you.”)_

...‘Lauriam’. Does that ring any bells?”

“Should it?”

 _What? No, no. No..! Marluxia remembered everything. Why had Ven not?_ “I believe it should,” Marluxia answered and he surprised himself with how even his voice was. “We knew each other, in the past. You do not recall me?”

“In the past… you knew me?” Ven didn’t quite lower his keyblade, but he wasn’t calling for any help. A success, if anything. “Before… Xehanort came along?”

It was dangerous to be giving this much information to those on the side of light, but Marluxia hadn’t the heart to care. “Yes.”

“Who… were you? Were you… my friend?”

_(“Ven is just a kind person.”)_

“You told Lauriam that you considered him as much.”

“Lauriam..” Ven repeated, deep in thought. Lauriam, a name Marluxia hadn’t heard in a thousand years, and hearing it now, in Ven’s voice no less, was nothing less of a shock, even if Marluxia had casted aside the identity of Lauriam long ago. “I’m… sorry. I don’t remember you. I lost most of my memories when Xehanort started training me.”

Lost his memories? Training? Marluxia had only heard bits and pieces from Xehanort, of how he obtained Vanitas, but it didn’t sound like “training”. Torture, more like. _Ven,_ being tortured by the very man Marluxia worked under and losing his memories of the Dandelions.

Oh, was Marluxia tempted to cast off the black coat.

“But if you, or Lauriam, was my friend then why’re… why are you working with Xehanort?

Marluxia found himself unable to answer. For better or for worse, the door to Ven’s door was then thrown open and somebody too familiar strolled in.

“Hey! Ven! Aqua’s been askin’ for you downstairs— _Marluxia?!”_ Lea gasped and in an instant, his keyblade was in his hands. “What the hell are you doing here? Ven, you alright?” How Lea’s voice had dropped, sounding like the traitorous Axel that Marluxia knew.

“I-I’m fine, Lea, but—”

“I see when my presence is unwanted. I shall be taking my leave,” Marluxia said. He made to move his hood back over his head when Lea and Ven approached him.

“ _Wait!”_ They both cried at the same moment.

“You’re not leaving until you tell me what’s going on!” Lea snarled. He pointed his keyblade at Marluxia and all Marluxia needed to do was summon Graceful Dahlia and they’d be back at Castle Oblivion. Minus Axel's chakrams, of course. “What were you planning?”

“Stop, Lea!” Ven said. “He’s not here to fight, he’s—”

“Ventus. I think it would be best if you stopped, now,” Marluxia said, eyes trained on Lea.

“Ven, you know him?” Lea asked.

“I… I don’t but… no, I do, it’s just—”

“ _Marluxia_ here—” Lea said. For the slightest moment, Marluxia had been Lauriam again but now, he was back to the nobody Marluxia. A shame. “—was the guy that tried to use Sora to take over the Organization. He tried to destroy Sora’s heart using Naminé— which woulda destroyed yours in the process, _remember?”_

Destroy Ven’s heart? Marluxia took his gaze off of Lea to look at Ven, who was staring back at Marluxia in shock. Silence reigned, Lea having said his line, Marluxia waiting for an explanation from Ven, and Ven struggling to keep everything together.

“My heart was in Sora’s heart,” Ven finally spoke, never breaking his stare with Marluxia. “It’s a long story, but it was hiding inside Sora’s heart to heal while my body was hiding in Castle Oblivion.”

Marluxia took a step back, willing his surprise not to show clear on his face. _Castle Oblivion?_ All this time, Marluxia had been in control of the very prison that Ventus was held in? This entire time, the room he was searching for held _Ventus?_ He was _so_ close to Ventus and he hadn’t _realized_ it?

(Come later, Marluxia would come to the conclusion that even if he found Ventus, he would have seen to it that Xemnas _never_ would.)

“Ven, don’t tell him this!”

“Lea, you don’t understand.”

“Lea is right, Ventus,” Marluxia said. He couldn’t meet Ven’s eyes, not after knowing that he nearly killed him. What a cruel joke. He couldn’t save Ven when… _that_ happened, a thousand years ago and he was this close to killing him. “You do not know me. I am one of the thirteen darknesses. I am Marluxia.”

 _Not Lauriam_ went unsaid. At long last, Ven nodded.

“...Yeah. I know.”

The last thing Marluxia heard was Lea’s cry of surprise as tendrils of darkness enveloped him; the last thing he saw was Ven’s eyes, burning bright blue. As it had so many years ago. Ven was the same. Marluxia was not. Lauriam and Ven were friends. Marluxia and Ventus were not. They were on two different sides of the war; darkness and light.

_(they were fighting the darkness together, them and the dandelions, avoiding and surviving the war the keyblade war it was dirty cold wind cries shouts screams moans of pain keyblades flashing people crying flashes blue red green spells scattered across battlefield bodies everywhere bloody keyblades ground bloody hands keyblades clashing in a war)_

Ironic, how the Dandelions tried their best to suppress the survivors’ memories of the war, only for Ven to lose _his_ years later. What was it that Master Ava said? The tragedy of the war would be too traumatizing for the keybearers to remember?

Marluxia had watched Ven for one day and in it, he saw him laugh with his friends. He joked and he trained to get stronger, to protect his friends and the light from darkness. He was smiling and now, Marluxia understood why Ava and the Dandelions chose to blind the keybearers to their memories of the war.

Looking at where Marluxia was now, perhaps it was a favour. A way to save Ven from the war and the aftermath of the war, that of which still woke Marluxia in a cold sweat.

Lauriam was dead. Had been dead for a thousand years. Marluxia wasn’t friends with Ven, no, but he would make Xehanort pay for what he did to Ven, as a favor to a person long gone.

**Author's Note:**

> "Marluxia found himself unable to answer." Ahh, dw, KH3 will give us those answers :>  
> And what had happened a thousand years ago? ..Can't answer that because Eng KHUx doesn't like updating its story. :>>>>
> 
> This was just another quick story I wrote in one sitting because ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ and since it has a lot of speculation, there's probably some really vague, unclear parts and I'll apologize for them. The final line, about making Xehanort pay, is a little HC I have about Marluxia in KH3 not being fully on the side of Xehanort (I can expand on it a little if you want me to) & forgot to mention, this fic is under the premise that Lauriam wasn't the traitor and was a decent person (though I do like the traitor-Lauriam theories, too!)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
